NITROGEN FROM THE AIR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19761, 12 April 1926, Page 14

NITROGEN FROM THE AIR.

NEW INDUSTRY FOR AUSTRALIA. It was announced officially in Melbourne about a fortnight ago that arrangements had been completed for the establishment of a large industry at Prospect Reservoir, near Sydney, for (he manufacture of nitrogen from (lie air. It was intended originally t) establish the works in Victoria, and for that purpose a company known as (lie Nnsko Power .Fuel and Nitrogen .Property (Ltd.), with a rapitai of £400,000, was registered in this Stale. A number of prospective sites near Melbourne were inspected but it i= said that difficulties in obtaining suitable water supply caused the company to decide on the Sydney site. The company is allied with large AngloGerman interests. It has acquired an area of about 6000 acres of land at Prospect Reservoir, between Liverpool on the southern line of railway and Parramatta on the western iine. It is intended to construct a branch railway from cither of these two lines to (he site selected for the factories, and plans for the line have already been* prepared. It is expected that the new tnihvay line will be completed within about six months. In the first unit of the new works it is estimated that 3000 men will he employed, and it is anticipated that ultimately tori units will be established, giving employ meiit fq about 30.000 persons, including 400 chemical experts. Another large industry with a capital of £250.000 using f om e of the by-produrts from the manufacture of nitrogen, is also to be established alongside the works of the nitrogen company. The process by which the nitrogen is to he extracted from the air is known as the Haber method, which was developed first in Germany during the war, when that country’s supplies of sodium nitrate from Chili were cut off by the Allies’ blockade It is said that, in addition to (lie manufacture of fertilisers, (be company will make power fuel